Robbery
by thunderful
Summary: P&P sequel- Darcy finds out about something Elizabeth stole. Fluffy One-shot


_Just a little one-shot P&P sequel_

**Robbery**

It was her first night back at Pemberley after marrying Mr Darcy. They had just spent a delightful six weeks touring the continent, and she was glad to be home. But she had a task to complete. Near the middle of the night she slipped quietly out of the bed, being careful not to wake her sleeping husband. After slipping on a nightgown and donning a robe she slipped an item out of her beside drawer and quietly exited the room and lit a candle.

She quietly made her way down the stairs and into Old Mr Darcy's favourite room, where the miniatures were located. Stopping in front of them, she was unwrapping her parcel when she felt the warm arms of her beloved husband surround her. "Elizabeth, what are you doing up so late at night?" he asked in a curious, but sleepy tone.

Now well and truly caught she had no other option but to admit her indecorous actions. She sighed. "I'm afraid I have a grievous charge to admit to my love, and I can only hope you will forgive me."

His voice was worried now. "Elizabeth, what is it? Surely you cannot have done something truly terrible."

"I'm afraid I am guilty of the charge of thievery," she admitted reluctantly, "and it is from you that I stole."

She waited anxiously for his verdict. His arms tensed slightly then relaxed. "Darling you have no need to steal from me- what's mine is now yours, and if you wish for anything you need only ask and I will attempt to procure it for you." His words reassured her somewhat, but she could not yet relax.

"I'm afraid that when I stole from you I was not yet your wife- in fact at the time I had no hope of you ever addressing a second proposal to me."

"I don't understand. What did you steal and when did you steal it Elizabeth?"

She leaned further back into the comfort of his arms as she finished unwrapping the item she held. She held it up to the light for him to see and turned slightly to watch his reaction. His eyes widened in surprise, and she could see him thinking as he registered what he was looking at. In her hand was a purloined miniature of him that she had taken from the wall they now stood in front of. "That has been missing for months- Mrs Reynolds was beside herself when she realised that it was gone. She even sent a maid to check through Caroline Bingley's belongings because the thought she might have stolen it. I am grateful you were the thief and not her, Darling, although we did find one of my mother's priceless vase's in her bags."

Elizabeth had to choke back her laughter at the idea of their poor housekeeper having Caroline's things checked, and a little angry. "How dare she steal from you."

Darcy bit back a chuckle. "Careful darling, lest you find yourself being hypocritical."

She sighed, "You're right, but at least my intentions were purer."

"Perhaps you should enlighten me as to how my miniature came into your possession," he suggested, his curiosity eager for appeasement.

She nodded. "It was the day my aunt and uncle brought me to Pemberley and Mrs Reynolds was giving us the tour she brought us into the room and showed us the miniatures on the wall. I had already gone over all of our conversations together, and your letter as well, a million times and seeing a picture of you with that slight smile you used to give me made me realise how much I had lost. If I had not let my pride and vanity be hurt from your first remark about me, then I would not have been so prejudiced against you and we might have been happily married by then. It didn't make me feel any better when your housekeeper began assuring us of your virtues." She leaned further into his reassuring embrace as she told her story and he could see a flash of the despair and agony she had felt back then in her eyes as she recalled her story. "We went upstairs to the gallery after that and I spent the whole time staring at the larger portrait of you and feeling sorry for the way I treated you. When we went back downstairs I ducked back into this room and stole your miniature. I didn't really know why I was doing it at the time, but I couldn't seem to stop myself." She laughed lightly.

"When we met only moments later I felt so guilty about having stolen it- I was sure you'd be able to sense what I had done, but instead you we so kind and gentlemanly."

"I was trying to show you that I had changed."

"I know, and I love you all the more for it. I almost put it back the evening we came for dinner, but I just couldn't bring myself to place it back on the wall, so I kept it. After I received Jane's letter about Lydia I was so sure I had lost you forever that my only comfort was when I would take out your miniature and look at it- which was an everyday occurrence. Now that all my dreams have come true it's time for it to be placed back." She ran a finger lovingly over the miniature face of her husband. "You are not angry that I stole it from you.

"No, in fact I find myself feeling rather smug and happy that you wished to have my picture with you at all after Hunsford, although if it had been anyone else who had stolen it I would be furious."

"As would I, thank you for not being angry." She stepped away from him and hung the miniature back in its place on the wall before stepping back into his warm embrace.

"Elizabeth, you know you are more than welcome to keep it- you do not need to put it back if you do not wish to." His voice was soft and loving, and she was glad he had forgiven her for this small act of thievery and deception.

"No my love, I think it is time for you to have a new miniature painted for me- for your smile is much brighter now." She caressed his cheek softly and looked lovingly up into his eyes.

"I have far more reasons to be happy my love, for with you by my side every day is infinitely brighter than the last."

"Well perhaps I can give you another reason to be happy," she smiled up at him and slowly took his hand, pressing it gently against her stomach. His eyes widened as he registered the significance of her action. "I am showing all the signs of being with child Fitzwilliam. It seems we shall soon be parents."

The smile he gifted her with was equal only to the one he had worn on their wedding day. "Truly Elizabeth, we are to have a babe?"

"I believe so Fitzwilliam," she smiled happily back at him, revelling in her love and happiness with him.

She was startled when he picked her up and spun her around exuberantly. "Oh my darling how wonderful!" She laughed and he swung her legs up before heading out of the room and back up the stairs- it was time to celebrate.


End file.
